Family Reunion
by Kittylass
Summary: A Mystery Skulls Animated fanfiction. Lewis has learned the truth about what happened the day he died, and has made amends with his friends. He's now a part of the Mystery Skulls gang once more. His afterlife is almost complete. If only he could face his family again. Thankfully, Vivi doesn't give him an option. Rated K because death and I'm paranoid.


**This has got to be longest fic to date! 7,589 words! I recently rediscovered my love for Mystery Skulls Animated, and I have wanted to see a fic where Lewis reunites with his family! So I decided to go ahead and write it. I hope you enjoy all the blood, sweat, and tears I put into making this!**

 **I don't own Mystery Skulls Animated!**

" _Here you kids are." Mrs. Pepper said setting the shakes on the table one at a time._

" _Finally! I love your shakes!" Arthur said and enthusiastically slurped on his shake. Almost as soon as he gulped it down did he slam the drink back down with a scream. Mrs. Pepper had just set the second shake on the table when Arthur started yelping about it being spicy. She raised an eyebrow at the teenager as he continued to flail around._

" _But Arthur, we know you don't like spice. We made sure to not put any in for your sake." Mr. Pepper reasoned in a confused tone. He winced as he talked. Arthur could be very loud when he wanted to be, and he was standing right next to him._

" _Is he going to be okay, Lew?" Paprika asked from Lewis's shoulder. Concern laced her voice._

" _Yeah, but I'm worried about how spice got in there in the first place." Lewis said with an almost panicked expression. Arthur had very sensitive taste buds, and Lewis did everything he could to make meals enjoyable for his friend. He hated seeing people, his friends especially, not enjoy their food._

 _Vivi and Mystery both heard mischievous laughter coming from under the table. They glanced at each other in suspicion, and looked back to the table. Vivi raised the table cloth to reveal a chuckling Cayenne Pepper holding a bottle of hot sauce._

" _I think I found the culprit." Vivi said as she and Mystery both lightly glared at the trouble making kid._

" _Photo opportunity!" Belle shouted as she took a group photo of the chaos around them. She gave a peace sign just as the camera flashed. She turned the digital camera around to see how it came out._

" _Ha! Perfect picture!" She said aloud, as Cayenne received 'the look' from her mom after she crawled out from under the table. Mr. Pepper gave Arthur a glass of milk to help drown out the spice. Lewis and Paprika instantly relaxed as Arthur breathed a sigh of relief._

" _Your family is going to kill me one day, Lewis." Arthur gasped out._

" _They'll do me in long before they'll do you in." Lewis laughed, a large grin on his face._

Mrs. Pepper sighed as the memory came to an end. She sat on her bed staring down at the picture Belle took on that day. Oh how she missed those days. It had been a year and a half since Lewis died, and none of them had gotten over it completely. Lewis was such a big part of their lives that he left a gaping hole in their hearts when he left.

The accident that took his life also robbed Arthur of his left arm, and Vivi of her memory. Sure they weren't technically her kids, but they were over at Pepper Paradiso so often that she considered them her children as much as she did Lewis. Everyone was affected by that one accident, and no one exactly remembered what happened in that cave. She wished she could go back in time and discourage them from checking out that dreaded cave that tore their family apart.

Mr. Pepper walked into his bedroom to see his wife looking at the picture again. He held back the tears that threatened to leak down his face. She may be stoic on the outside, but she was hurting just as much as him on the inside. Lewis had barged into their lives, and left just as quickly as he came.

Mrs. Pepper turned to her husband who was quietly sobbing. She set the picture back on her nightstand, and walked over to Mr. Pepper to wrap her arms around him. He returned the hug.

"It's not fair! He was so young!" he cried onto her shoulder. She said nothing as she held him tightly. She doubted that this was something they would ever get over.

"Uh…" their small moment was interrupted by Paprika who stood at their doorway.

"What is it, kiddo?" Mr. Pepper asked as he wiped away his tears.

"Cayenne found a ghost in our closet." She said pointing toward their room. Mr. and Mrs. Pepper gave each other a questioning look before they followed their daughter down the hall. As they drew closer, they could hear Cayenne and Belle arguing through the door. They walked in and saw their remaining two daughters at each other's throats as a small, pink ghost looked on with a worried expression. Both adults gave a small pause to the ghost. They never doubted the existence of ghosts, but it was still jarring to see one in your own home.

"No it isn't!" Shouted Belle.

"Yes it is!" Cayenne shouted back.

"Nu-uh!"

"Ya-huh!"

"Prove it!"

"It's pink! What more proof do you need?!" Cayenne pointed a finger at the ghost who was looking more and more uncomfortable with each passing second.

"So? Our whole family is pink! That doesn't prove anything!" Belle threw her hands in the air in exasperation.

"Yes it does!"

"Girls." Mrs. Pepper said, and the two instantly clammed up at the sound of her voice. They turned and looked at their mom with wide eyes.

"What is this argument about?" Mr. Pepper asked gently.

"Cayenne thinks that the ghost is Lewis, but it obviously isn't." Belle explained and glared at her sister.

"It's a pink ghost, and it was hanging out in our closet! How could it _not_ be Lewis?!" Cayenne defended herself giving Belle a glare of her own.

Mr. and Mrs. Pepper shared another look, one of surprise this time. Mr. Pepper turned to the small ghost, a small bit of hope daring to flare up in the very back of his mind. He slowly walked over to the ghost, who was looking conflicted between staying and fleeing. He crouched down to look at its eye level. He gazed deep into its eyes for a few minutes looking for any signs of recognition. The small bit of hope that was starting to bloom had died when not even a speck of recognition flashed in his eyes. He bowed his head in defeat.

"It isn't him." He said trying so hard to not sound broken, but he failed miserably.

"See! I was right!" Belle bitterly gloated over Cayenne. But the smile never reached her eyes.

"You just couldn't let me hope could you?!" Cayenne growled and tried just as hard as her father to not sound devastated.

Paprika deflated when she learned that it wasn't Lewis. She and her sisters loved Lewis to pieces, and their worlds crumbled when they heard he died. He was their big brother, and they all idolized him. Cayenne hoped beyond hope that the ghost really was Lewis, and thought that it would be true if she wished hard enough. Belle was more of a realists than Cayenne was, and wanted to keep her sisters from becoming heartbroken all over again if the ghost proved to not be Lewis. Paprika fell somewhere between her two sisters. She missed Lewis, and really wanted him back. But she knew better than to get carried away with a wild speculation.

Mrs. Pepper looked at her grieving family, and then looked at the ghost. It looked like it wanted to do something to help, but had no idea how. As harmless as this ghost appeared, it could really hurt their business. Their house was above Pepper Paradiso, after all. She had no idea how to get rid of ghosts, but she knew someone who did.

"I'll call Vivi."

-line break-

Lewis looked down at the family photo he stole from his home. He figured they had more than enough pictures to remember him by, and swiped a picture for himself.

He, Vivi, and Arthur had recently came back together as the Mystery Skulls gang. He had driven his stolen truck over to where he sensed Vivi. The petals he placed in his heart allowed him to tell where she was. This time he would give her back her memories, and wouldn't let Arthur drag her away. He had cornered them, and managed to restore her memories. She had passed out from having so many memories return, and he was about to take revenge on Arthur. But Mystery surprised him by turning into a six tailed wolf, and pinned him down. Not only could he change his form, but he could talk. He explained everything to Lewis. He didn't want to believe it at first, but then Mystery gave him a vision of what happened through his eyes, and he instantly believed. He apologized profusely to Arthur for trying to kill him, but he wouldn't let him. He instead told him that he deserved it, since it was his arm that pushed him over the ledge.

Lewis was about to argue, when a figure came out of nowhere and announced her presence to them. It was the same spirit that had tried to take his heart. She was after Mystery for something he did to her in the past. The battle that ensued wasn't very long, but it was exhausting nonetheless. She ended up fleeing with a promise to come back to finally get her revenge on Mystery. It was at that point that Vivi woke up. She started to accuse Arthur for the incident, but Lewis and Mystery intervened, and explained to her what really happened.

All of that was a month ago, and he was officially a part of the Mystery Skulls crew once more. He remade his mansion, and all four of them were currently resting up for the next big case that Vivi happened to get her hands on. He was happy to have his friends back, but his family was another case entirely.

He had personally kept watch over them for the first two months after his death, but he eventually learned how to make minions to do his bidding. He called them deadbeats. He assigned one of them to keep an eye on his family, to make sure they were safe and doing okay. No matter what, the deadbeat was absolutely not allowed to reveal itself to them. If it was discovered, then if could be traced back to him. They didn't need to see him as a ghost. They would be much better off forgetting him, and moving on with their lives. His heart turned blue with sadness, and he stared longingly at the photo.

Vivi had walked into the mansion's kitchen to make herself a sandwich, and stopped in her tracks when she saw Lewis. He was sitting at the table with the saddest look on his skull. He didn't notice her as he gazed at a photo, too deep in his own thoughts to pay attention to his surroundings. There were a few deadbeats floating around him with a worried look on their faces.

Vivi walked over, and peered over Lewis's shoulder to see the picture he was looking at. It was a picture of him and his family from when he was alive. It was when they took the day off to have a picnic in the park. Belle, the family's picture taker, had everyone perfectly framed in the picture. Cayenne was messily devouring her meal, Paprika was eating hers like a little lady, Lewis and Mr. Pepper were looking at the two girls with an amused look, and Mrs. Pepper had the barest traces of a smile on her lips. Belle was front and center with a bright smile, not wanting to be excluded from the picture.

"You miss them, don't you?" Vivi asked, causing Lewis to Jump in surprise.

"V-Vivi?! When did you get here?!" Lewis asked as he shoved the picture inside a suit pocket.

"A minute ago, but you were too far off in your own world to notice." She said, and Lewis looked away in slight embarrassment.

"Sorry. Did you need something?" He asked.

"You miss them." This time she made it into a statement. It was way too obvious to be questioned.

"Miss who?" Lewis asked, not meeting her eyes.

"Don't play dumb with me. I saw the picture you were looking at. You miss your family." She countered, and Lewis had no idea what to say in response. He had been caught.

"Why don't you go see them? I'm sure they'd love to talk to you again." Arthur said, making his presence known.

"I can't." Lewis said looking down.

"Why not?" Vivi challenged.

"They don't need to see me like this. It's better if they remember me as I was, instead of see what I've become." Lewis's heart was now a dark blue, showing off how depressed the subject made him.

"Dude, other than being a ghost, you're still the same guy." Arthur pointed out.

"He's right. You may have a floating skull with fire for hair, but you're still the same Lewlew I grew up with." Vivi agreed.

"No I'm not! Just look at me! I can't sleep, I can't eat, hell, I even have a hard time keep control over my emotions now that I'm a ghost! I'm merely a shadow of who I once was. It would only hurt them more to see me now." Lewis started off angry, but finished off with a defeated tone. The deadbeats tried to comfort him with small pats.

"You're wrong." Arthur said after a few minutes of silence.

"What?" Lewis turned to his amber friend.

"I said, you're wrong. You are so wrong, you don't even know. Your family is suffering without you." Arthur said with a strict tone.

"I watched over them the first few months before I assigned a deadbeat to keep watch. I know they were grieving then, but they've most likely moved on by now."

"No they haven't!" Arthur yelled, causing Lewis and Vivi to look at him in shock. The deadbeats hid behind Lewis. Arthur's outburst startled them.

"Sure you saw them the first few months, but have you seen them lately?!" Arthur took a step forward.

"I-"

"No! You haven't!" Arthur interrupted Lewis.

"Calm down, Arthur." Vivi said trying to soothe the mechanic.

"No! I won't! They're barely holding it together, Lewis! The few times Vivi and I have visited, they wore strained smiles, and pretended they were just fine. But they're still hurting, even after a year and a half to get over it. They miss you so much, and you don't even realize it. Just… just go see them. I guarantee that they will be more than happy to see you." Arthur started out strong, but calmed down quickly. He was never one to stay mad for long, or to get mad at all. But Lewis hadn't seen how Mrs. Pepper rarely talked to him and Vivi anymore, or how Mr. Pepper seemed to constantly be on the brink of tears. He didn't see how his sisters didn't even cause half the mischief they used to. Sure, the Pepper family tried to move on, and they were slightly perkier than they were a year ago. But their progress was so slow that Arthur doubted they'd ever move on. Seeing Lewis would bring them so much happiness, and he felt he owed it to them. It was his arm that caused their grief after all.

Vivi was thinking along the same lines as Arthur. She too had seen how the Peppers were barely getting by with their lives without Lewis, and it was obvious that Lewis missed them too. A reunion would be the best for everyone.

Lewis, however, highly doubted that they should see him. They loved the living Lewis. The one who could help taste test each new recipe. The one who would go with them to conventions to help them out. The one who could keep track of his sisters if they all went out somewhere. He couldn't taste things anymore, and he didn't dare go out in public. Sure he could make himself look alive again, but his eyes would be a dead giveaway to what he really was. Not only that, but being with them could make them a target to any enemies he might make in the future. He was already worried about Shiromori using his friends as leverage. He didn't need to worry about his family as well. He had his mind made up.

"I'm not going to see them, and that's that." He floated away towards his coffin without another word. His deadbeats followed him.

"That stubborn-" Vivi was cut off by her phone ringing. She shared a look with Arthur. They'd let him brood for a few hours before trying again.

"Mystery Skulls: Vivi speaking." Vivi answered with a frustrated sigh.

" _Hello, Vivi. It's been a while."_

Vivi widened her eyes in surprise. Speak of the devil, and he will appear.

"Mrs. Pepper? It's so funny that you called. I was just thinking of you." Vivi answered, and Arthur looked at her with his own shocked expression.

" _Oh really? Has your memory returned, yet?"_

The last time Vivi talked to them was six months ago. She still had her memories missing at the time, but she had long since been reintroduced to the Peppers. They had hoped that getting to know them again, would help her regain her memories of Lewis.

"Actually, yes. I remember everything, now."

" _That's great to hear. I knew it would happen one day."_

"Yep! So is there a reason why you called?"

" _Yes, there is. My daughters found a ghost in their closet, and I was hoping you'd tell me how to get rid of it."_

Vivi's eyebrows went straight to her hairline in shock.

"Oh my gosh! Are you guys alright?! It isn't attacking anyone is it?!" Vivi's panicked tone caused Arthur to look extremely worried.

" _No, no. It seems to be rather peaceful. If anything, it looks torn between wanting to help us and wanting to flee."_

Vivi calmed down, after hearing that the ghost was docile. Then she remembered what Lewis said about having a deadbeat watch over them.

"That's a relief to hear. Say, um, can you describe what it looks like?" Vivi questioned. She had a feeling it was a deadbeat, but she wanted to make sure.

" _Certainly. It's small, pink, and has a gold heart beating where its chest should be."_

She mentally fist pumped at having her theory being confirmed.

"Okay. Keep it out in the open. It won't hurt you or your family. I will be there ASAP!" Vivi instructed.

" _Okay. Thank you, Vivi. It was nice to talk to you again."_

"No problem, and it was nice to talk to you too."

" _Goodbye."_

"Bye!"

Vivi hung up, and turned to Arthur. She had a plan already forming in the back of her mind.

"What's going on? Is Mrs. Pepper okay? What were you talking about?" Arthur asked, looking worried.

"Calm down, Arty. They found the deadbeat Lewis assigned to keep watch over them. She was just wanted to know how to get rid of it." Vivi answered.

"Well, I'm glad it was nothing serious. But how are you going to explain the deadbeat to them? Once Lewis gives them an order, they always follow through 'til the end of their task. And if Lewis told that deadbeat to keep an eye on his family, then there's no way you can get it to leave." Arthur asked.

"Elementary, my dear Arthur. Lewis is going to have a family reunion whether he wants one or not." Vivi said, an evil smile forming on her lips.

"Okay, but you know as well as I do, that Lewis isn't budging from his coffin for the next few hours. How are you going to convince him to leave? And he nailed his coffin in place after the hide and seek fiasco, so don't think we can just take his coffin there." Arthur asked.

"Think about it for one second. If we can't bring him to his family…" she trailed off waiting for the pieces in his mind to click together.

"… then we should bring his family to him!" Arthur yelled, after a few seconds of thinking.

"Right! Mr. broody pants will be sulking just long enough for me to go get them. I can explain everything on the way. He won't be able to weasel his way out of this!" Vivi said with a gleam in her eyes.

"Okay, do you want me and Mystery to go with you, or should we wait here?" Arthur asked.

"Wait here. I need you guys to lie to Lewis about where I went if he leaves his coffin early." Vivi explained.

"Rodger! I'll find Mystery, and explain the plan to him." Arthur saluted Vivi, and the two went their separate ways.

-line break-

"When did Vivi say she'd get here?" Paprika asked.

"Patience. She'll be here soon enough." Mrs. Pepper answered.

"I hope it's soon. I'm tired of asking this ghost the same questions." Cayenne said with a bored tone.

"It would help if it would talk words to us instead of chirping." Belle said just as bored.

"I just hope she can convince it to leave. It doesn't look like it wants to go anytime soon." Mr. Pepper said. He had yet to be wary of the ghost. It seemed harmless enough after all. Maybe Vivi could get it to cross over with a small conversation.

Mrs. Pepper wasn't scared of it either, but she knew many people would be. She hoped that, for the sake of their business, Vivi could convince it to change hauntings if it absolutely refused to cross.

Paprika hoped they could find a way to make the ghost stay. It was cute, and she didn't have to feed it. It could become their pet.

Cayenne hoped that the ghost could give them any info about the other side. She thought that maybe it could even contact Lewis for them. All she wanted was one last conversation with him, but the ghost didn't seem to speak any human language. She tried both English and Spanish, but it just chirped like a bird. She wanted Belle to Pyle drive it into next week she was so frustrated with it.

Belle knew that while the ghost appeared harmless, it could potentially do a lot of damage. Sure it had yet to do anything of substance, but she couldn't trust it. How could she trust something that only seemed interested in watching her and her family?

Everyone was brought out of their musings by the sound of the doorbell. Vivi had arrived. Mrs. Pepper went downstairs to get her. She returned with Vivi a few seconds later.

"Hi Vivi!" Paprika shouted.

"Hey Viv!" Cayenne cheered.

"We heard you have your memories again! Is that true?" Belle asked. All three of them crowded around Vivi who hugged them in a greeting.

"Hey guys! And, yes, I have my memory back!" Vivi said with a wide smile.

"That's great to hear, Vivi!" Mr. Pepper said, waving at the blunette. She waved back, and spotted the ghost they were talking about. It was, indeed, a deadbeat.

"That's the ghost, I take it." Vivi said breaking the hug.

"Yeah, but it's a dumb ghost! It doesn't know anything other than bird language!" Cayenne huffed in frustration. The deadbeat chirped angrily at the girl. Vivi laughed at the deadbeat's pouty face.

"It's not dumb. It can understand every word you say." Vivi said amused.

"Then why doesn't it answer any of my questions, huh?!" Cayenne glared at the deadbeat who glared back.

"How about I answer your questions?" Vivi suggested, and Cayenne frowned.

"I doubt you could answer any of her questions." Belle chipped in. Vivi looked at her watch ignoring the nods of agreement from Belle and Cayenne. If they left now, they could still catch Lewis sulking in his coffin.

"Try me, but we have to leave right now if you want them answered." Vivi looked at the Peppers who gave her mixed expressions. Cayenne and Mr. Pepper looked at her with hesitating hope. Belle and Mrs. Pepper looked at her skeptically. And Paprika looked at her with genuine curiosity.

"Where are we going?"

"What about the ghost?"

"Why do we have to leave?" The three kids asked her at once.

"You'll see. The ghost will follow us, and I'll explain along the way." Vivi answered each question.

"Will this help get rid of the ghost?" Mr. Pepper asked.

"It's your best chance of getting rid of it." Vivi said itching to get out the door. If they waited too much longer, Lewis might leave his coffin. Then it'd be near impossible to find him if he went into hiding afterward.

Mrs. Pepper nodded in understanding and said, "Let's go."

The Peppers kicked into gear after her order. They quickly left the building, Mr. Pepper locked the door behind them. Then they piled into the van. Mr. Pepper sat in the passenger's seat with Belle in the center front. Mrs. Pepper sat in the back with Paprika and Cayenne. The deadbeat floated around the back with Mrs. Pepper and the girls. They were quickly moving.

"Okay, now that we're on our way, can you answer my questions?" Cayenne piped up.

"Like I said back at your place: try me." Vivi responded. That was all the encouragement the young Pepper needed.

"Is Lewis happy where he is?" Cayenne asked. She crossed her arms smugly. She was confident that Vivi wouldn't be able to answer.

"Ah, bringing out the questions about Lewis, huh? Alright, I have a _lot_ to explain, so pay attention. I refuse to repeat myself." Vivi said instantly catching all of the Pepper's attention. Vivi sounded extremely confident. Could she have the answers they were all dying to know?

"Do I have your attention?" She asked, and got a round of 'yes's and one 'get on with it' from Cayenne.

"Good. I guess I should start with what happened back at the cave."

"You know what happened at the cave?!" Paprika asked in disbelief.

"Yup!"

"Then please start there. We never really got a clear answer about what happened." Mr. Pepper said sounding like he both anticipated and dreaded the answer.

"Well, we arrived at the cave. All four of us stuck together through the first half, but then it split up into to paths. Lewis and Arthur took the left path, and Mystery and I were supposed to take the right."

"Supposed to? What happened?" Belle asked.

"Mystery refused to go with me. He stuck to Arthur and Lewis. Of course, I didn't realize this until I was alone in a bit cavern. Anyways, it turned out that we weren't alone in that cave."

"What do you mean you weren't alone?" Mr. Pepper asked, sounding spooked.

"There was something there. That something took control of Arthur's left arm, and forced him to push Lewis over the edge. I believe you know how that ended." Vivi trailed off, and waited for the new bit of information to sink in.

The Peppers were in shock. This whole time, they thought it was an accident that killed Lewis, but it was murder. Lewis was murdered by a ghost that took control of Arthur. Mr. Pepper and Paprika started to cry. Cayenne punched the side of the van in anger. Belle inwardly swore revenge on the thing that took her big brother away from them, and Mrs. Pepper sat there. Her eyes were wide as she took in what really happened that day. It was a hard pill to swallow.

"Is… is that way Arthur doesn't have his left arm anymore?" Mr. Pepper asked as he managed to make himself stop crying.

"Yes, Mystery ripped his arm off before the possession could spread to the rest of his body." Vivi answered softly. She gave them a few more minutes to digest what she told them.

"What caused you to forget?" Belle asked breaking the silence.

"Lewis." She answered, and everyone was paying attention again.

"What?" Cayenne asked surprised at the answer.

"I was in the cavern when he fell, and… died right in front of me." She knew that Lewis was waiting back at the mansion for her, but it was still hard to talk about one of her best friends dying right in front of her.

"Right as he died, he used his newly acquired supernatural powers to erase himself from my memory. He didn't want me to hurt because he was gone. The mind wipe caused me to pass out." Vivi continued and the Peppers remained silent.

Taking his body out of that place was painful enough, but to watch Lewis's last moments would've been scarring for them. They gave Vivi a look of pity, and were glad that she had her memory wiped until she could handle the truth once more.

"Wait! If Lewis got rid of your memory, then how did you get it back?" Belle asked after everything got processed.

"I'm getting to that." Vivi answered.

"Skip to about three months ago. Mystery, Arthur, and I are driving down this very road leading to the deep inside the forest on the outskirts of town. About an hour out of town our van suddenly stops in front of a pink and black mansion. With nothing better to do, we go inside to see it filled with ghosts exactly like the one floating next to you, Mrs. Pepper." Vivi glanced in the rearview mirror to see Mrs. Pepper give a suspicious glance to the side.

"Don't worry, they didn't hurt us. They only scarred us a little bit. Anyways we ran deeper into the mansion, and got separated. Mystery and I found ourselves in a fully stocked kitchen, so we kinda helped ourselves to a little snack." Vivi heard a chuckle from Mr. Pepper. It was well known that Vivi's idea of a little snack was what any normal person would consider a feast for twelve men.

"But before we could eat our snack, Arthur comes running in. He shouts at us to get our rear in gear. We were confused at first, but then we saw him." Vivi stopped for suspense.

"Who?!" the girls shouted after a few seconds of silence.

"The ghost of the mansion, and he was really freaky looking! He had a black suit with ribs on the outside of the suit. Instead of a normal face, he had a floating skull with pink fire for hair. There was a beating golden heart on the left side of his chest. He floated at us superfast, so we start running like crazy." Vivi talked about how the ghost chased them throughout the mansion. The description of the ghost caused the Peppers to pale considerably. But they had every right to be fearful of the ghost since one of its minions was floating next to them. They listened as Vivi continued the story, if anything to learn about why the ghost had one of its minions watching them.

"So it had cornered Arthur, and was ready to plow him into nonexistence. So I did the only thing I could think of, and jumped in between the two. I braced myself for impact, but it never came. So I looked at the ghost all confused, but his expression was soft when he looked at me. In fact, I'd go as far as to call it sorrowful. Then I noticed his heart was slowly floating toward me. The closer it got, the more familiar the ghost felt. It was almost in my hands. It felt like I was so close to rediscovering the part of myself that was missing when Arthur pulled me away the last second. I looked at the ghost, not wanting to leave just yet, and he looked like he didn't want me to leave. I saw his heart fall to the ground and crack, before Arthur turned me around. Then I heard him yelled in anger and frustration seconds before there was a pink fiery explosion behind us. Thankfully we were outside when it happened. Arthur pushed us in the van, and the mansion disappeared behind us as we drove away." Vivi trailed off, and let then ending sink in. She had a lot to explain to them, and she wanted every part of what she had to say to be understood.

"So… he doesn't hate you?" Paprika asked.

"Nope."

"But he hated Arthur?" Cayenne asked.

"Yup."

"Wait… the heart. You said it felt like it contained the part of you that was missing. Is that where your memories were?" Belle asked as she connected the two. Vivi nodded at the young Pepper. She was really smart to pick up on that.

"But you said that Lewis erased your mind." Paprika said. Then all at once the Peppers gasped in shock as the pieces fell into place.

"THAT GHOST IS LEWIS!" The girls and Mr. Pepper all shouted startling Vivi.

"Wow! You guys caught onto that really fast!" Vivi said trying to get her hearing back to normal.

"My son! He still exists!" Mr. Pepper smiled, and cried tears of joy.

"He's still out there!" Cayenne cried tears of happiness with her father.

"But he's a vengeful spirit now." Paprika chimed in, sounding heartbroken. Her statement seemed to bring the others out of their trance as they looked torn. Vivi cleared her throat to get their attention.

"I'm not done you know." She said, and some of them started to look hopeful at what else Vivi might have to say.

"So a month ago, we ran into Lewis again. He had taken control of a truck, and had managed to follow us. This time he cornered us rather well, and managed to return my memories. The return caused me to pass out, but he also let me see his death through his eyes. From Lewis's perspective, Arthur pushed him off the cliff for no reason. He had no idea Arthur was even possessed. And, when I woke up, I too wanted to strangle Arthur, and ask why. But Mystery, and surprisingly, Lewis stopped me from doing so." Vivi explained.

"Wait! He stopped you?" Mr. Pepper asked almost stunned.

"But that makes no sense! You just said that he had no idea that Arthur was possessed!" Cayenne yelled.

"They explained everything to him when I was unconscious, and then they explained everything to me. Lewis apologized profusely to Arthur for trying to kill him, and we've taken him back as a member of the Mystery Skulls. Now that he isn't focused on revenge, he is exactly like the Lewis we all know and love. Except he's, you know, a ghost." Vivi said, and they let it all sink in. Slowly the life returned to each of their eyes, and Mr. Pepper went back to crying tears of joy.

"My son. My son has returned!" Mr. Pepper gave the biggest smile he had given in the past year and a half. The girls all cheered, and started to ramble amongst themselves all the things they'll do with Lewis now that he was a ghost, and Mrs. Pepper had the faintest traces of a smile on her face. She was throwing a party in her mind, however. She had gotten her son back after a year and a half of agonizing pain. Vivi smiled and let them celebrate their newfound joy. She glanced at the clock and saw that she had fifteen minutes until they got back to the mansion. She didn't have that much time to explain the situation to them. She cleared he throat once more to catch their attention. It was a bit harder this time since they were so excited, but she did get it.

"Now that you know what's happened to him, it's time I catch you up to speed. That minion floating in the back is called a deadbeat. Lewis assigned it to watch over you guys, and keep you safe. He's terrified to show himself to you guys again. He thinks you guys would be better off if you forgot about him since he's no longer alive." Vivi explained.

"That's insane! We've been miserable without him!" Cayenne shouted.

"He thinks you'll only hurt worse if you see him as the ghost he is. He's forcing himself to stay away, even though he wants nothing more than to come back. It's tearing him up inside, but he truly believes it's for the best." She said, and started to look for the mansion. It should be showing up at any moment.

"That's why you came to get us. You wanted to show him how ridiculous he's being." Mrs. Pepper spoke up for the first time since Vivi began explaining.

"Yup. When I left him, he was brooding in his coffin. I figured it was now or never. He wouldn't try to hide somewhere else as long as he sulked inside his room." Vivi explained.

"His coffin?" Belle asked.

"Yeah, that's where he 'rests' to regain energy." Vivi answered.

"He can still sleep?" Paprika asked.

"No. Ghosts don't sleep. They fall into a trance where they regain lost energy." Vivi said and the mansion finally came into view. The sight of it caught the attention of the Peppers, halting any questions they were about to ask. The van pulled to a stop in the driveway Lewis made just for the van, and everyone piled out of the vehicle. The deadbeat seemed unsure of whether to stick around or go find its brothers. Vivi gave it a waving motion, and it smiled at her gratefully before heading in. Lewis was nearby, so why did the poor thing have to keep working?

"Wow." Belle breathed in awe.

"This really does feel like something Lewis would make." Mr. Pepper said with a fond smile.

"Well, are you going to stand around gawking, or do you want to see Lewis and talk some sense into him!" Vivi cheered, and the Peppers snapped out of their daze. They could look around the mansion at any time. Right now, they were eager to see their fallen family member. They nodded, each with a determined look. Or a serious look in Mrs. Pepper's case. They walked into the foyer, and saw Mystery and Arthur waiting for them.

"Is he still in his room?" Vivi asked.

"Yup! He hasn't even glanced outside since you left." Arthur said, giving a nervous wave to the Peppers. Sure Lewis forgave him, but he didn't know if they did or not. They smiled and waved back, and Arthur felt a weight lift off of his shoulders. They forgave him too. He gave them a grateful smile as they all headed toward Lewis's room. The girls looked around a bit, but stayed focused on the task at hand. They had a brother to go see. They approached a door, and Vivi didn't even knock before she barged in.

"Lewis, you big baby! Come out here now!" She shouted. The Peppers followed her in with Arthur and Mystery taking up the rear of their group. This room was different from the one Arthur saw in the first design of the mansion. It was still mostly barren, but it was a lot smaller. The only thing in the room was the coffin, and all of them.

"No!" Answered Lewis's voice from inside the coffin. Other than the fact that is echoed, it sounded exactly like it did when he was alive.

"We gave you a few hours to mope, now come out of there!" Vivi yelled.

"No!" was his answer again.

Vivi was about to yell something else when Mrs. Pepper places a hand on her shoulder. She gave Vivi a look that told her she'd handle this. Vivi nodded and backed off.

"Lewis, come out of there. Now." She said, and the room fell silent. The girls smirked. No matter how stubborn Lewis could get, he was no match for their mom. Slowly the coffin door creaked open and half of a floating skull with fiery hair poked out. The glowing iris shrank in fear at the sight of them, before it glared at Vivi.

"You went and got them?!" He yelled.

"It's a good thing she did." Mrs. Pepper said, and Lewis's attention was back on her. He tried to shrink back into the coffin, but she was too fast for him. She caught the lid, and threw it to the side. There stood a ghost that fit Vivi's description exactly, except that his heart was a dark blue instead of a golden color. He looked at the ground in shame.

"I wanted to spare you the pain of seeing me as I am now. It is unfair of me to keep dragging you back instead of letting you go ahead with your lives." Lewis said not able to look at his family.

"Shut up, stupid!" Cayenne yelled, causing him to look at her in surprise.

"We were worse off before Vivi came and got us!" Belle joined her sister.

"Do you think we'd be able to let you go so easily? It tore us apart every day you weren't there! We didn't bother causing as much mischief as before because we were too sad! It was selfish of you to stay hidden from us!" Paprika yelled before running up to him and hugging his legs. The other two joined soon after much to Lewis's bewilderment.

"Didn't you want to see us again?" Belle asked.

"Don't we matter to you?" Cayenne asked.

"Of course I did. I just didn't want to hurt you by-"

"Would you stop with that lame excuse?!" Everyone turned to see Mr. Pepper with tears rolling down his eyes.

"D-Dad?" Lewis stuttered out.

"What would you say if the tables were turned, and it was one of us that died and wanted to stay away because of that garbage excuse?!" He all but shouted, and Lewis paused. He hadn't thought of it before. He tried to picture it with each of his family members. He didn't like it one bit. For the first time since he died, he started to see things from their perspective. But that didn't stop a nagging fear at the back of his mind.

"W-What if I make a powerful enemy that targets you, just to get to me?" Lewis whispered out. He was barely holding back tears of both sorrow and joy.

"Then we'll do what we've always done." Mr. Pepper said, and hugged his son for the first time in a long time.

"We'll get through it, together, as a family." Mrs. Pepper said, joining in on the hug. That broke the dam holding back Lewis's tears. He hugged them back, and started crying out with a mixture of emotions. And, for that moment he stood there hugging his family, everything felt right in the world.

-line break-

"Are you sure you don't want to move back in?" Paprika asked Lewis with her big ol' puppy dog eyes.

"Sorry, Rika. I was really well known in the town. I don't want word to go around that I'm a ghost. It'd be better if I stayed here. You guys can come see me whenever you want." He smiled and ruffled her hair.

"As long as we aren't working on a case, that is!" Vivi chipped in.

"Awwwwww!" whined the girls.

"Come on, girls. You have school tomorrow, and it's a long drive back." Mr. Pepper said, trying to hurry up the goodbye. They had spent the rest of the day at Lewis's after Vivi had brought them there that morning. Lewis had showed them around the mansion, and pointed out what rooms they would have should they ever spend the night. This, of course, led to Paprika, Cayenne, and Belle to try and convince Lewis to move back in. Despite all of his refusals, they had kept at it until it was getting close to time to head back.

"If Lewlew can't live with us, can we move in with him?" Belle suggested.

"And face an hour's drive everyday just to go to work? No way." Mrs. Pepper's answer was met by another chorus of whining from the girls.

"It was phenomenal to see you again, Lewis. This will be the best night's sleep I've gotten in a long time." Mr. Pepper said, and gave Lewis the hundredth hug he received that day.

"It's was outstanding to see you again too, Dad. I've really missed you guys." Lewis said returning the hug.

"Don't wait so long to talk to us again." Mrs. Pepper said joining in on the hug.

"I won't, Mom." Lewis smiled. He felt a warmth in his chest that he long since forgotten existed.

"Goodbye Lewis!" Belled yelled, hugging his leg. The other two hugged his other leg with their own goodbyes.

"Goodbye, guys. Behave for Mom and Dad for me, okay?" Lewis asked.

"Will do!" They all chimed.

"They won't keep that promise." Mr. Pepper laughed.

"Uhhh… Look, I know you guys missed each other and all, but you won't get anywhere if you don't stop hugging him." Arthur said from the driver's seat of the van.

"One more minute." Mrs. Pepper responded. Arthur smiled and let their hug continue for a moment longer. After all the pain and heartache they went through, they deserved to have to world's longest group hug. They got back something they had though was lost, and Arthur wasn't going to force them apart anytime soon.


End file.
